Brewers cut ties with Julio, call on Burns

The Brewers added a fresh arm to their sagging bullpen on Tuesday when they promoted journeyman right-hander Mike Burns from Triple-A Nashville and released Jorge Julio after a brief and mostly ineffective tenure with the team.

The Brewers owe Julio what’s left of his $950,000 salary but apparently ran out of patience with the former Orioles closer. Julio was charged with five runs in Monday’s 7-4 loss to the Marlins without recording an out in the sixth inning, an outing that boosted his ERA to a staff-worst 7.79. He allowed 15 hits and 15 walks in 17 1/3 innings and hit four batters, including Florida’s Jorge Cantu on Monday night to force home the go-ahead run.

Burns, 30, is a veteran of 45 relief appearances with a 5.88 ERA for the Reds, Astros and Red Sox in 2005 and 2006. He was 6-2 with a 2.98 ERA at Nashville this season and was 6-0 before losing his two most recent starts.

The Brewers had to add Burns to the 40-man roster. He is wearing No. 47 in the big leagues and will be in uniform Tuesday night, when Manny Parra faces the Marlins at Land Shark Stadium.

UPDATE at 2:40 p.m. CT — I just noticed that Gord Ash “tweeted” the corresponding move for Nashville. Left-hander Chris Cody, who was 5-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 starts for Double-A Huntsville, earned a promotion.

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